NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE
Starring: Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol
Director: Matt Johnson
NICK
As someone who’s never seen Nirvanna the Band the Show, I really had no idea what to expect going into this movie. But it’s incredible. Yes, the film is hilarious, as Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol have clearly fine-tuned these characters. It’s the filmmaking, however, that kind of blew me away. Some of the things that Johnson attempts and succeeds at, be it editing or flat out risk-taking, is thoroughly impressive. On top of that, this thing is so authentically Torontonian, and that combined with a certain film’s integration to the story’s plot, made me feel like this was made for me.
ADRIANO
As a Torontonian, I acknowledge my bias for a film so littered with Toronto easter eggs, but Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is a blast I'd recommend to anyone. Yes, there are inside jokes not everyone will get, but there's still a lot to laugh at. From a sheer filmmaking standpoint, I wondered "how did they do this?" multiple times. The writing alone is truly brilliant, weaving in time travel, comedy, and a sincere friendship narrative all into one uniquely enjoyable package. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, this movie is sort of a miracle.
AMARÚ
Watching such a Toronto film with such a Toronto audience definitely helped my viewing of Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie. Now, don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of jokes that I laughed at all on my own, but the communal experience informing me when I missed a very specific joke allowed for director/star Matt Jones and Jay McCarrol’s charm to naturally grow on me. It’s silly and ridiculous in plenty of the right ways, and while it didn’t necessarily fully hit my funny bone, there was an endearing story of friendship to help boost the laughs I both caught and missed
BODE
The thing about Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is that you don’t necessarily need to have been familiar with Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol’s previous web and television series to enjoy it, though it definitely doesn’t hurt if you are (I came into it already a fan). If you’re simply looking for a great comedy, this’ll scratch that itch in many ways - from its hilariously astounding leveraging of fair use (right down to its central homage), to its touching ode to friendship and to the city of Toronto itself. This is Canadian cinema at its finest.
This film was reviewed by Nick, Adriano, and Amarú as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.